Sculptural stone island provides ideal place to gather throughout the day

The old adage that everyone at a party ends up in the kitchen is as true today as it ever was. But the difference now is that the kitchen is no longer a separate room at the back – it’s out in the open living space.

So it makes sense to think of the kitchen as a social space right from the start.

For designer Leon House, that has included placing a wine cellar close to the kitchen in recent homes he’s designed.

“The owner of this home had no place for a wine collection in his previous home, so that was my main focus here,” he says.

The result is a 3m x 2.5m glass-fronted cellar to one side of the kitchen, with a wine fridge and pouring station next to it.

A casual seating area at the end of the  sculptural 4m-long kitchen island is just a step away from the cellar and drinks area.

“So the island facilitates the social arena,” says House.

With the kitchen set-up for socialising,  House wanted to limit the amount of preparation and clean-up that was on show.

“I didn’t want appliances centre stage, so the integrated fridge and the ovens are on the side wall opposite the cellar.”

And to keep most of the mess out of sight, he added a well-equipped scullery running full length behind the back wall of the main kitchen.

Accessible from both ends, the scullery also connects to the kitchen and view beyond via a hatch in the splashback.

“So the scullery is an attractive place to be – the owners actually spend about 95% meal times in there,” he says.

Designed by: Leon House Design

Story by: Paul Taylor

Photography by: Peter Ellery